Haunt
by Stricko14
Summary: A new arrival to the neighbourhood, Jenny moves to get away from all the tragic events back home. When she meets Josh, sparks fly, but will she tell him? Please R
1. Silence

**Please excuse any spelling mistakes, I haven't got microsoft word, meaning I have no spell checker x**

**Thankyou Goblin Worm for the inspiration! :) xx**

**Haunt**

**Chapter 1 - Silence**

Resting her head on her fist, Jenny stared out of the car window as it turned into the driveway of their new home. It was a lot bigger than their old bungalow at the other end of the country. A lot newer too. The grass in the front garden seemed almost too perfect and the building was in such good condition. In fact, so did all the other houses on the street. A long line of dollhouses.

The 48 hour drive had left the family of three tired, however, that was not the cause of the constant silence. The car stopped and they all sat there a while before somebody decided to speak.

"Well... I guess this is it," murmured Harry, Jenny's father. When nobody replied, he tried getting excited to lift their moods abit but gave up when Jenny and Mary just sat there with blank expressions while staring at the house. Jenny just could not stop thinking about the past few months of her life. It was eating her up from the inside, making her feel weaker and weaker as each day went by. She knew her parents felt the same.

"Come on then," Mary sighed while exiting the vehicle. Her family followed, silently.

**A/N - Yes, I know its very short (maybe even the shortest chapter ever! :O ) but I shall get the next chapter up ASAP! So, look at it this way, this chapter is like a little sample to see if you like it or not! Please review, I would really appreciate it :)**

**xx**


	2. A smile

**Haunt**

**Chapter 2 - A smile**

Jenny pulled out a picture frame from a half-full carboard box. At that moment, the family were all unpacking in the living room. Before placing it down onto the end table, Jenny couldn't help but just stop and look at it for a moment. They were so happy then. A perfect family of four. But Kate was no longer with them.

A knock on the door brought Jenny from her thoughts and she put down the picture without another glance.

"Hi, i'm Audrey! This is Walter and my children, Drake, Josh and Megan. We just came over to make sure you were settling into the neighbourhood fine," A voice said in the hall. Jenny walked over to her parents to greet the guests.

"Oh, thats so sweet! I'm Mary, this is my husband, Harry and my daugher, Jenny," Mary replied, placing her arm around jennys and squeezing her close.

"Hi," Jenny greeted, lifting her hand and giving a little wave awkwardly. Harry shook their hands one by one, cracking a joke every now and then.

"We brought you a vase," One of the older lads said, who Jenny assumed to be either Drake or Josh, "Just a little housewarming gift," He passed it to Mary and while she gushed about how beautiful it was and thanked them, he glanced at Jenny and smiled. She could feel herself blushing.

Her parents invited them in and the six of them all sat in the half furnished living room until Jenny got up to make the adults tea. She wasn't involving herself in conversations anyway. She filled the kettle and switched it on, then turned around and leant her back against the counter. She listened to the muted laugher and talking in the other room and wondered how different it would be if Kate were here. She was always the confident one. She would make sure Jenny was included in everything and knowing her, would probably try and get them both together with the too lads aswell.

Her mind was suddenly cramped with memories of her older sister. Oh how she missed her was unbearable.

"Uh, hey," She nearly jumped from her spot as someone startled her. When she looked, one of the lads were walking into the kitchen hesitantly, the one with the cute smile, she remembered.

"Hi," Jenny turned away, to pour the boiled water into in the four mugs.

"I'm Josh," He said, edging closer towards her. She turned back around, this time remembering to smile.

"Jenny," She replied,"Do you want a drink?"

"Nah, i'm fine thanks," He answered with a little chuckle, "I got a bit bored back there listening to our parents ramble on," Jenny laughed.

"I guess that makes two of us then," She joked, while adding milk and stirring the tea.

"Dude, we gotta go! The cheerleading tryouts start in 5 minutes!" The other brother, Drake, burst into the kitchen.

"Whoa, dude, what?"

"Hot girls dancing everywhere! Why are we still stood here? Nickie is gonna be there! Lets go!" He urged.

"Drake, can't you see i'm talking?" Drake glanced at Jenny, then back at Josh and raised his eyebrows.

"Ok, whatever," Drake said as he left the room and murmoured something about short skirts that neither Josh or Jenny could make both stood silently for a moment with an awkward tension between them.

"You can go if you want," Jenny said quietly, giving a smile. Josh looked up.

"Oh, no. He drags me there all the time, its not that great, trust me," He sighed. Jenny laughed alittle, then asked for some help bringing the cups through to the living room. "Sure," He said, smiling that cute grin once again.

**A/N - Yes I know it is another short chapter but I wanted to end it there and get it up or I would probably get bored aha :P So please R&R!!**

**xx**


	3. Double Date

**Haunt**

**Chapter 3 - Double Date**

It had been a whole week since they had moved in and almost everything was unpacked. Jenny pulled on her black jacket and swung her bag over her shoulder before exiting her new bedroom and rushing down the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Mary called from the kitchen as she was about to open the front door.

"I'm off out with josh," Jen replied. Mary walked into the hall, a small smile leaking her lips.

"Are you "dating" this Josh?" The smile grew a little.

"Mum! No! He has a girlfriend anyway,"

"Oh, well, have a nice time then," The smile faded and Mary looked a little disappointed. Josh was a nice lad, she would have loved for Jenny to date him. Putting these thoughts aside, she stepped towards Jenny, stroked her long dark hair and kissed her forehead.

"Bye mum," Jenny smiled and finally left.

She had just made it to the end of her driveway when Josh pulled up at her house.

"Hey!" He called from the window. Jenny replied a delighted hi and opened the door to his car and got in.

"Right, off to the premire!" He announced. The journey was an incredible amount of fun, both of them cracking jokes at every chance they got. Jenny loved his company.

When they arrived, Josh went up to a small group of people, Jenny following behind. She felt a bit awkward, walking up to people she didn't know. However, she couldn't be a loner in this town forever. Better make friends as soon as possible, Jen thought. The only girl in the group rushed over to Josh, flung her arms around his neck and kissed him softly on the lips. Mindy. Watching this, Jenny could not help but feel a little saddened.

"Hey you," Josh wispered, looking deeply into Mindy's eyes for a moment. Jenny looked away, towards the rest of the group. Two nerdy looking lads and one with pretty extraordinary hair. She raised her eyebrows at the three boys, having second thoughts about trying to befriend them.

"Oh, Jenny, this is Mindy I was telling you about," Josh explained, unneededly.

"Hi," Mindy greeted, shaking her hand.

"Hey," She replied, feeling rather out of place in her black jeans and top while most other girls there wore bright colours and mini skirts. Josh placed his arm around mindy's waist.

"And this is Craig and Eric," They both mumbled hi shyly and Jenny just raised her hand as a wave."And thats Gavin,"

"Hi," Jenny said, still amazed by his haircut.

"I gotta go feed a hobo," He murmured while walking away, expressionless.

"Alright then... Anyone want a drink?" Josh asked. After everyone told him what they wanted, he went to get the drinks while Mindy pulled Jen to the table and sat her down with the nerds before pulling a chair up herself. Josh was quick to bring the drinks, relieving the awkward silence between them all. He sat between Mindy and Eric, bringing up a conversation about model rockets which Jenny could not help but find boring. She sat there sipping on her root beer, slouched in her chair and staring at her converse shoes for a while until she noticed Craig looking at her. She looked back up at him.

"Oh, er, hey," He said, quickly looking away. She didn't reply. After a few seconds, he turned back round to face her."I like your... uh...hair," He didn't meet her eyes and nervously shuffled in his seat.

"Oh, thanks," She replied, chuckling a little at his compliment.

"You er...," He looked at his friends for a moment before continuing,"wanna go on a date... with me? Maybe?" The conversation between the other three came to a halt and they all looked at Craig in shock. Soon, their eyes drifted towards Jenny, excited for her answer. She desperatly wanted to say no and she probably would have if she hadn't an audience. However the three people staring at them put her under quite some pressure.

"Uh...sure?" She answered half heartedly. What was she doing? She had only just met him for crying out loud! However, she couldn't take her words back now. Josh, Mindy and Eric all started cheering and patting Craig on the shoulder.

"For real? Whoa! I never thought you would say yes! Eric! I got a date! With a hot girl!" She forced a smile upon her lips. He stood up and gave Eric a hug, obviously very happy about this date. Jenny just stared at her converses once again, completely regretting her words.

* * *

Stood in the entrance of the premire the following day, Jenny checked her watch, bored already. 7:31pm. She then looked up to find Craig walking in, one minute late to be picky. The outfit he wore was better than yesterdays, but still completely nerdy. His hair was gelled back smartly. He obviously tried to look good for Jenny.

"Hey," He greeted, shyly.

"Hi," She replied, hoping tonight would be quick.

"Is Josh here yet?" The only thing that made Jenny drag her feet here was Josh. They were having a double date. Jenny and Craig, Josh and Mindy. Perhaps he would make it bearable.

"No, they should be here any minute now," She said, checking her watch again. A few mintues later, much to her comfort, Josh and Mindy walked in. He had his arm around her shoulders and she held that hand. They were laughing. At least some people were having fun.

Josh wore a smart purple shirt with dark jeans, looking great. As much as Jenny took a dislike to Mindy, she could not help thinking she looked good too in her black top and denim skirt with converse shoes.

"Craig! Jenny!" Josh called while walking up to us with his girlfriend."Hey guys, were not late are we? We just went to inside out burger," Mindy burst out laughing again.

"Oh my god, Josh! It was soo funny! The waiter!" Then Josh joined in as Jen and Craig watched, puzzled. "Oh, sorry guys, you had to be there," Mindy explained.

"Oh, ok then," Jenny replied, wondering how long this would go on for.

"And then he," Josh struggled to complete his sentence, laughing a little too much, "With the..." He started laughing even harder and Mindy did too, understanding these random words.

"Are we going to see the movie now?" Craig interupted, getting impatient. The two of them tried to compose themselves.

"Sorry Craig, yeah lets go in," They walked to the cinema screen after buying tickets and popcorn. Craig attempted to hold Jenny's hand, however, once she felt his, she quickly moved her hand away, feeling more uncomfortable with this date as every minute passed.

It was a romance movie. Great. Jenny couldn't stand the soppiness of it. Some parts actually made her want to throw up. And just to make it worse, Josh and Mindy, who were sat next to them, were giggling and giving eachother light kisses throughout the whole thing. She sighed and concentrated on her popcorn for while until she noticed Craig reaching for her hand again. She was too late to save herself this time. She looked over at Josh for some help but he was engrossed in the movie... and Mindy it seemed. She swallowed and did not dare look at Craig. Suddenly, she saw from the corner of her eye, him leaning over. She turned her head to face him in shock when he kissed her full on the lips. She pulled back, releasing her hand at the same time, while yelling at him perhaps a little too loud. Popcorn flew everywhere. Josh and Mindy turned around and watched them, trying to understand what had just happened. Craig just stayed in that same position, feeling rejected and humiliated. After noticing her "friends" watching her and recieving a few annoyed glares from some other people who were actually trying to watch the film, Jenny stood up, mumbled "Excuse me," and rushed out.

She headed straight for the doors and walked home, feeling absolutely terrible. Well on the bright side, she thought, at least we wont be in a commited relationship any time soon.

**N/A - Ok, I finally have a bit of a longer chapter. Yey! I just wanted to mention that in this, Josh has longer hair like in their latest movie 'Merry Christmas, Drake and Josh'. Hope you liked this chapter, the story will get better! I promise!! Just bear with me aha. PLEASE read and review. Thanks.**

**xx**


	4. Iced Tea

**Haunt**

**Chapter 4 - Iced tea**

A knock on the door brought Jenny to her feet. She switched off the television and opened the door. Josh. She instantly felt rather embarressed from the date the night before and looked down at her feet, feeling herself blushing.

"Hey Jenny, just came to see how you were," He said. She looked up at him, rather surprised, expecting him to be mad about her hurting his friend.

"Oh, er, i'm good, thanks," She replied, opening the door wider to let him in,"You?"

"I'm fine thanks,"

"Look, Josh, i'm really sorry about last night. I shouldn't have walked out on Craig like that. Is he ok?" Jenny asked, shivering at the thought of it.

"Oh Craig? He's fine. Don't worry about him, you were much nicer than any other girl he might of had a chance with," Josh laughed, "So, change of subject. Do you want to hang out today? Mindy is away for the weekend with her parents and Drake has a gig so i'm free all day,"

"Sure," Jenny smiled, glad he did not come to talk about the date,"Want a drink?"

"Yeah, that would be great," While Jenny went to get some iced tea, Josh sat in the living room, "Who's this?" He asked when Jenny walked in with the drinks. He was holding the picture frame and she knew he was talking about the pretty blond. Kate.

"Thats my sister," She answered, handing him the iced tea. He looked at her, confused, waiting for an explanation. She hating talking about this and tried coming up with an excuse but gave up and decided to tell him, "Yeah, er... she's dead," For a moment, Josh just stared at her in shock but then replaced his expression with one of tenderness and put the picture down carefully.

"Oh... i'm really sorry," He sympathized. He reached over and gave her a small hug. She hugged him back, the warmth of his body keeping her stable.

"Its ok," She replied once he pulled away.

"May I ask when?" He asked carefully.

"About a year ago. We moved here to get away from it all. A bit like running away, you might say," She took a sip from her tea. They sat in quietness for a while.

"I know how you feel," Josh finally broke the silence. Jenny did not reply, but turned to face him with a puzzled expression."My mum died when I was 10. Cancer it was," He was looking into his drink, however, Jenny could sense the emotion. "We were really close. After she died, all I had was my dad and well, neither of us coped very well. So I tried taking comfort in other things. Food mainly. I'd eat and eat all the time. Shamefull I know, but thats how it was."

"So how come your not..." She hesitated before saying it, afraid of offending him,"Well...big?"

"Once we moved in with the Parkers, things got better. I had less time on my hands, meaning less time to stuff myself. Drake kinda distracted me aswell. We do everything together. Eventually I just stopped thinking so much about my mum and the food. I started losing weight at about 15. Now i'm pretty much back to normal i guess,"

"So Drake is your stepbrother?"

"Yeah,"

"And Megan?"

"Stepsister, yes. So how did your sister... you know..," Josh began to ask, completely regretting it after the first five words.

"Well...," She started. She was not sure how to word it, or whether she should even tell Josh at all. She had only known him a couple of days, was she really about to tell him something that has affected her entire life? She had told no one. Not one of her friends. It was something that pained her to think about. Something unbearable that she was forced to endure every minute of everyday.

"Are you ok?" He asked suddenly startling Jenny as she was brought from her thoughts.

"What? Oh, yeah, i'm fine,"

"Come on, lets go out," He grabbed her arm and she had to put down her drink quick to keep up with him.

* * *

They walked down many streets and crossed many roads, neither of them even thinking where they could be going, deep in conversation. He was an interesting guy. Smart. Funny. Awkward silences were never a problem during the hour they walked aimlessly. Once they had reached the other end of the town, Josh finally stopped speaking for a mintue to properly view his surroundings.

"Whoa, we've come a long way," He began to laugh alittle."The beach isn't far. Wanna go?"

"Sure!" Jenny replied as he made a gesture to cross the road. What felt like seconds of conversation and giggles was actually fifteen minutes until they reached their destination. They plopped down onto the soft sand. A small distance away, there were two children playing in the sea, splashing around. Not far away, on the dry sand, were who Jenny assumed to be their parents. Next to them was a toddler, playing with the sand excitedly.

"So which school are you starting after summer break?" Josh asked.

"Yours, and from everything you have just told me what goes on in it, it sounds quite exciting," Josh began taking off his shoes and socks while he spoke.

"Awesome! I can show you around! Do you like science? You could help me in the science fair next year! I have only managed to beat mindy once, and it turned out she had let me win," Josh started rambling on about magnets and how they should build one. Jenny smiled and nodded, not understanding one bit of it and was rather uninterested. After a few minutes, while she too removed her footwear, she interupted him.

"Josh, i'm sorry but all that was gibberish to me. I know absolutely nothing about science. Sorry,"

"Oh... ok then," Josh chuckled alittle to himself, feeling rather embarressed for a moment.

"Oh but hey, could you help me with it once school starts? Like a mentor?" Josh's face lightened up.

"Yeah! That would be fun!" He said. Jenny did not think fun was the word, but agreed anyway.

"So, did you say your brother was at a gig?" She asked, changing the subject for her sake.

"Yeah, he has his own band,"

"Really? Are they good?"

"Why? Do you like him?" Josh sang, laughing at his own joke.

"What? No!" Jenny also burst into chuckles and pushed him lightly till he fell to the ground. Josh then pulled on her arm, bringing her down too. They laid on the sand laughing for a moment until Jenny suggested going into the water. They raced up to it and splashed each other, despite being fully clothed. After a few more splashes and shoves into the water, about twenty minutes later, they were completely drenched from head to toe. Josh stopped for a mintue to catch his breath between bursts of laughter and Jenny did the same.

"You know what Josh?" She started, still giggling,"I havn't had- ha! I havn't had that much-,"She attempted to finish her sentence, struggling through the laughter,"Fun in so long!"

Josh simply carried on laughing and splashed water at her once more before walking closer towards her. His light blue shirt was now sticking against his body and had gone rather see-through. Jenny was thankful she was still wearing black.

As he got closer, Jenny brought her eyes from his shirt, or what was underneath and looked into his. His blue eyes were deep. They gave away his childish personality. They showed he cares. He loves. But if you wandered far enough into this blue ocean, you would find the sorrow behind them. The sorrow he felt for his mother.

Jenny brought herself from these thoughts and realised that Josh, too, was staring into her own eyes. Before she knew it, he leaned in and kissed her softly. He held her arms as he brushed his lips against hers. She wanted to pull away. It was wrong. She had known him only a few days and he had a girlfriend. But it felt so right. Before she had finished thinking whether she should stop it, it had ended anyway. He looked down at the water that was just covering his knees.

"We um.. we should probably get a cab home," He mumbled before walking back to the sand. For a moment, Jenny was completely bewildered. She then realised that he probably just thought the same as her. He had a girlfriend. She should be able to trust him when she was not there. And yet he had betrayed her. Jenny suddenly felt quite guilty, but followed Josh all the same.

He was fairly quiet during the ride home and the cab driver was not too pleased about them getting his vehicle wet, making Jen feel rather awkward, so she just stared out the window, making no eye contact with anyone. Once the cab had stopped outside her house, Josh got out with her.

"Listen, Jen" He began softly,"Please just.. forget about the kiss. It didn't mean anything. Please don't tell anyone, especially Mindy. I really care about her and this was just a huge mistake," She knew it was coming but Jenny could not help feeling dissapointed.

"Yeah. Alright," She put on her famous fake smile and walked inside.

**A/N - Sorry I took so long with this chapter! I have been kinda busy with xmas and everything haha :P So did you all have a good christmas? Hope you did! Please read and review, luv ya all!!**

**xx**


	5. Perfect

**Haunt**

**Chapter 5 - Perfect**

Jenny, shivering in her wet clothes, undressed herself and jumped in the shower as soon as she got in. She closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the water surround her body. She pushed Josh, with difficulty, to the back of her mind and thought of other matters. Stupid, useless matters that did not actually need thinking over. However, Jenny needed a moment to just forget everything. To let the water wash it all away. To take every bad memory and thought. To let it pour down the drain, never to be seen again.

If only things were so easy. She was not thinking of Josh. It was Kate. The pretty older, by one year, sister. They were quite the opposites, Jen and Kate. Kate was blond, Jenny was dark. Kate wore miniskirts with stilettos, Jenny wore black skinny jeans with converses. Kate was loveable, confident, beautiful. From a first glance, some may pass her off as a slut. A tramp. A tart perhaps. However, once you have said hi, got to know her alittle, she was anything but. Most of all, she cared for her little sister more than anything. Despite their differences, they were extremely close. When she died, a part of Jenny went too.

Before she knew it, Jenny had scrunched up in a ball in the corner of the tub, head in her hands, tears mingling with the clean water. The night of Kate's death, Jenny had cried for hours on end, unable to speak to anyone. She cried herself to sleep that night. After that she felt she simply had no tears left. Even at times when she wanted to scream and get all the emotion out in the open, she held it in. Apart from a few occasions were water filled her eyes, Jenny had not cried properly since that dreaded night. She had held it in for a whole year and now it had overloaded and was spilling out. She let it happen and remained in her position for about ten more minutes. She then stood and switched off the shower. Jen brought the nearest towel to her face, wiping away the sorrow before drying the rest of her body.

* * *

It was Monday. Jenny was walking back from a shop with milk for her mum and a megathon bar for herself. She was oblivious to her surroundings, trapped in her own thoughts, when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around to find a happy brunette smiling at her.

"Mindy, hey," Jenny said,continuing to walk. Mindy stayed by her side.

"Hey, I havn't seen you since the date. How you doing?" She asked politely.

"I'm good," Jenny replied, wondering whether it was true or not,"You?"

"I'm fine thankyou. How was your weekend?" Jenny's mind suddenly came to a halt. She was not sure what to say. Was Mindy simply trying to make conversation? Or did she know something? Was she trying to suss her out? Or maybe Josh had told her everything and she was seeing if Jenny would lie. She settled for simple smalltalk and lied.

"It was good, I stayed home with my parents for most of it. Didn't you go somewhere with yours?"

"Yeah, we went on a small camping trip at met up with some old friends. How did you know?" Damn it. Another question to wriggle out of, Jenny thought.

"Oh... I asked Josh for your number 'cos I was going to ask you whether you wanted to hang out but then he told me you wern't in,"

"Cool, well my house is over there," Mindy gestured towards the street they were opposite, "I have to go, but give me a ring and we can meet up at the premire tonight," She grinned, showing all her perfectly white teeth and wandered across the road. Jenny waved alittle, making sure she remembered to ask Josh for her number when she got back.

As she walked, she noticed how all the houses on this street were bigger than the rest, and a lot posher too. Mindy's parents must be big on the money, Jen couldn't help thinking. Perhaps she was all too perfect.

**A/N I know this is short but I got writers block! Anyway, pleeeeeeeeease leave a comment, I would really appreicate it :) Thanks guys!!**

**xx**


	6. Text

**Haunt**

**Chapter 6 - Text**

"So how many dates have you been on in total then?" Mindy asked, genuinely interested in Jenny's life. They were sat in the premier, untouched fries laid out in front of them. It was about 1pm and quite busy. Jen was thankful to Mindy for trying to make her feel welcome; it was obvious she was trying to befriend her. However, there was still something holding Jenny back, a bitterness that caused her to pick out flaws when she smiled or spoke. At first she questioned it, but realised quick after that there was an easy answer. A very easy answer. Josh.

"Three, including Craig," Jenny smiled, doing her best to be polite. She was surprised Mindy had not noticed Jen's dislike for her yet.

"For real? Just three? Surely guys must ask you out all the time. I mean, you're really pretty and everything!" More compliments.

"Well, yeah I got asked a few times but Kate was the one who got all the lads," Mindy looked puzzled for a moment and Jenny remembered she knew nothing about her sister at all.

"I'm sorry, Kate?"

"She's my sister," Jenny smiled, hoping the conversation about her would end there.

"How come I haven't seen her-" Mindy started, but Jenny interrupted with relief when she saw Drake and Josh walk in and brought Mindy's attention to them instead. Mindy stood and walked swiftly over to Josh, placing her arms around his neck and kissing him, just like when Jenny first met her. Jealousy flowed in her bloodstream, making its way around her body. She knew how it felt to kiss Josh. His lips were so soft, he makes it so perfect. Knowing it could never happen again, Jenny was more envious than ever of Mindy. Why couldn't she just fall in a pond or something ridiculous like that? However, when she thought it all over, Jenny knew she was being unreasonable. Josh and Mindy had been together god knows how long. Jen arrived just five days ago.

She stood also, and walked over to the other three. As she approached them, Drake was making an insulting remark about Mindy, making sure she was within earshot. Jenny had respect for Drake.

Mindy scowled at him before turning back to Josh and smiling again."I didn't know you guys were coming," She said, flirting with the way she ran one finger down his chest lightly while gazing into his eyes.

"You look pissed," Drake muttered quietly to Jenny. She looked up at him and changed her expression quickly to one of simply no emotion at all.

"Bad day," She replied. It wasn't untrue really when watching the scene in front of her. Drake laughed faintly.

"I'm not surprised. You've been hanging out with that thing all day," He gestured towards Mindy and Jenny smiled, trying her hardest not to laugh, not wanting to offend her."You don't like her do you? I can tell,"

"You got me," She admitted, her eyes locked on Josh and Mindy. Drake laughed even harder at her carelessness.

"You're awesome! Wanna make out?" His question brought Jenny from her stare and looked, shocked, at him. He had also caught the attention of the other two.

"Hey, Drake, don't" Josh said simply, "Leave her alone,"

"Yeah, don't scare the newbie," Mindy laughed, one arm round josh's waist. Was this normal "Drake" behaviour? Jenny thought.

"Well?" Drake was confident in his question. Jenny raised one eyebrow.

"No thanks," She answered.

"Ouch! How does it feel to be let down for the first time Drake?" Mindy announced, attempting to humiliate him as much as possible.

"How does it feel to have a face like that?" He answered, causing her to raise both eyebrows in offence. A smile crept across Jenny's face as they argued; it was rather amusing. She then looked over to Josh. He looked bored, watching them fight again. After a few minutes, Mindy and Drake were still insulting each other and Jen was still watching Josh. But the smile had gone. During these few minutes, she had realised what Josh was doing. Something she was dreading he would do. Something she hoped he just wouldn't. He was avoiding her completely. She had made one friend here, and a bloody good one at that. And yet, within just five days, she had lost him.

"Come on, Jen, let's go," Mindy said coldly, linking arms with her. She then gave Josh one more kiss before throwing Drake a threatening look.

"Sorry about Drake," She began as they walked away, "He's always like that," Jenny was not sure how to answer, she much preferred Drake to Mindy, but all for unfair reasons. She kept quiet. Mindy started rambling on about how idiotic he was and Jenny nodded and smiled at appropriate times, but inside her head she was still thinking about Josh. If he had known everything would have been this awkward, why did he kiss her? And now he chooses to avoid her .The first friendship she had had was more or less over. All because of one kiss.

Jenny looked up to find her house nearby. She felt relieved to finally be left to her own thoughts and said bye to Mindy. She then walked the short distance and opened the front door to her home. As soon as she walked in, she found her parents arguing. Jen sighed. She thought this was all over. They had not fought since they had moved. She figured the fresh start had calmed it all down. Seems that was only temporary. Jenny rolled her eyes and headed upstairs before sitting on her bed and wondering what to do. She could hear them yelling about something stupid and slammed the door shut, sick of it.

She moved over to her desk and brought out her art book and a pencil. For a few seconds, she debated with herself what to draw, and then settled on one image. She began to draw and when the paper came to meet her pencil, she drew a curve, putting all her emotion behind it. Within every line, she placed a whole batch of her feelings. Drawing all her problems, laying them out on paper. An hour had passed until she was happy, not only with the result of the picture, but that she had cleared her mind fully.

Jenny viewed the black rose before her, pleased with the outcome and feeling slightly refreshed. She then opened up a drawer and placed it with the other artwork she had done over the previous year.

"Honey, are you ok?" The voice took Jenny by surprise, not hearing her mum open the door before she spoke, "You have been awfully quiet up here," She thought about lying but changed her mind when she realised that Mary could tell from her face that something was up.

"I'm just... not fitting in well here, that's all," Her mother allowed herself further into the room and sat on Jen's bed as she spun her chair around to face her.

"What about Josh? You get along with him don't you?"

"Um... well not really. Not anymore," She did her best not to make eye contact.

"Why? What's happened between you two?"

"Will you just stop asking so many questions?!" Jenny yelled, getting frustrated and wanting to be left alone.

"Don't you dare talk to your mother like that," Mary warned, but softened her tone again afterwards, "He seemed like a nice boy to me,"

"Yeah well..." Jen trailed off, not really sure what to say. Her mum stood and placed her hand under her chin.

"Are you ok sweetie?" She asked, concerned. He daughter gave a half-hearted smile.

"Yeah, I'll be fine mum," Mary kissed her forehead and exited the room. Jenny remained in her seat for a couple of minutes before sighing and standing up. Walking up to her window, she rested her head on her fists, placing her elbows on the window sill and took a look outside.

She was slightly amazed at her timing when she saw Drake and Josh walking past her house. She made an effort to remain unseen by both of them and watched in a nosy manner. It was easy to tell that Josh was not listening to his brother, just nodding and agreeing at certain times. It was obvious that his mind was in a completely different place. Drake, however, was oblivious to his.

As they approached the drive, leading up to Jenny's home, she noticed Josh hesitating, perhaps thinking about walking up to the house to see her, but decided against it and walked straight past as planned.

It was a couple of hours later and Jen was sat at the dinner table with her parents. She remained silent through most of it, shuffling the pasta around her plate with her fork. In fact, no one tried to make conversation unless her dad made an offensive comment, followed by backchat from her mother. She hoped this would not last long. Unfortunately, her hopes were not reality. She knew this all too well.

"The pasta is dry," Harry said, coldly, with a disgusted expression on his face.

"Well aren't you one to talk," His wife replied smartly. He mumbled something insulting under his breath and both Mary and Jenny glared at him. Eventually, Jen had had enough and ran upstairs. She tried to forget about her parents and shrugged out of her jeans and top, pulling on her pyjamas afterwards. She switched off her light and was about to get under the covers when her cell phone went off. She searched in the darkness for her jeans and pulled out her phone. Getting into bed, Jenny put it on her bedside table as she rearranged the pillows and then grabbed her cell and flipped it open. 'Text from Josh', she read. A thrill of excitement suddenly flowed through her body as she pressed the middle button. She read the text once, bewildered, not completely understanding it and kept re-reading until a smile had spread across her face. She felt comforted, happy, relieved. Her eyes then shut slowly as she drifted into a calm sleep.

"I'm sorry x," It read.

**A/N – Sorry this chapter took so long! :P I have been rather busy and lost my inspiration for a while. And yeah, I agree that this chapter is rather boring, and I'm sorry for that. However, I know where I'm going and the story shall get better! :D Thanks to those of you who have reviewed, you make me happy!! x) And thanks to my best friend, Jade, for helping me sort out my plot and suggesting the pond =] Larve you **

**xx**


	7. One Year Later

**Haunt**

**Chapter 7 – A year later **

During the past year, Jenny had fitted nicely into the neighbourhood. There was Drake, now one of her best friends. Leon, her boyfriend of almost two months. Mindy, the annoying girl who was always just... There. Audrey was like a second mum, and Walter? Well... she just avoided him for her own sanity. And then here was Josh. Her very best friend.

With one book held firmly in her hand, she walked with her group of friends out of the school and towards the parking lot. Leon had one arm wrapped around Jenny's waist as he brought his keys from his trouser pockets and unlocked his car door.

"I'll see you later," Jenny said to anyone who was listening as she got into the passenger seat of the car. A few seconds later, Leon was sat beside her and began to drive out of the lot. She watched as Josh, Mindy, Drake and the nerds carried on walking to their cars, in conversations that made them oblivious to their surroundings. She watched her best friend placed his arm around Mindy's shoulders, dragging her closer to him and kissed the top of her forehead. Their relationship was still going strong. However, any feelings Jenny had for Josh had gone. Well, almost. There was still a twinge of jealously and pain when he looked deeply into Mindy's eyes and not hers, but it's better than it was. She had moved on to the best of her ability, and now had a boyfriend who seemingly cared for her. As long as Josh was, and would continue to be her best friend, she was happy.

"You ok?" The sound of his voice brought Jenny from her thoughts, and she realised she had been staring out of the window for quite a while. She spun her head around towards Leon, who took a quick glance at her but then concentrated back on the road once he knew he had got her attention.

"Yeah, sorry. I was thinking," She answered, brushing her hair back from her face.

"About what?" He asked, still not taking his eyes off the road. He had dark hair. It ended just above his shoulders, hiding his great jaw line, a feature which Jenny admired. A lot. He had dark eyes and fair skin, with quite plump lips. He wore the same syle of clothing as Jen. Skinny jeans, dark hoodie, converse.

"Nothing special," Jenny smiled and sat up. He then looked over curiously, but returned her smile without asking again. He pulled up to her house after about ten minutes and exited the vechicle with her.

"You know, you don't _have_ to walk me to the porch everyday," Jenny said, knowing this meant absolutely nothing, as they stood before her front door. Leon raised one eyebrow cheekily, and then put his hand under her chin, tilting her head up. He reached down and kissed her lovingly. His hand swept down to her waist and he held her there as she locked her arms around his neck at the same time. After a few more seconds, he broke it off and smiled before saying, "I'll see you tomorrow,". Planting one last kiss on her cheek, he walked flawlessly down her drive and got back into his old car.

Jenny unlocked her door and stepped inside, doing her best not to trip up or something idiotic. After successfully entering the house and shutting the door, she found her mum on the couch with her back to her. Jen happily drifted onto the arm of the seat beside her and was about to begin a long story about something amusing that had happened that day when she noticed the bloodshot eyes. The tears that had not yet fallen. The blank stare into the muted television. Jenny hesitated before speaking,

"Whats happened?" Mary finally looked up at her daughter, sorrow stained in her eyes. A tear fell from one as she began to explain.

"Your fathers left. We had an argument last night and he... he said he couldn't take it anymore and walked out there and then. I thought he would be back by now but.... Oh Jenny," Tears started pouring out and Jen reached for some tissues to hand her mother,"I'm sorry. I don't think he's coming back," She sobbed. Jen sat silently, processing her mothers words. He had left? For good? Millions of questions bubbled through her mind, and she tried to settle on just one for now.

"W-why didn't you tell me? This morning?"

"Oh honey, I told you. I thought he was going to come back. I didn't want to ruin your day," The tears finally escaped Jenny and she sunk into the couch beside he mother. Mary wrapped her arms around her as her daughter cried with her. She knew there was no point hoping. He wouldn't come back this time. She just knew it. They remained in their position for about ten minutes, silently. Jenny then stood and walked to her bedroom, her mother hardly noticing, deep in her thoughts.

She collapsed on her bed and lied, unmoving, for an hour, thinking back to those old memories of the happy family of four. They had now gotten down to two. Sitting back up on her bed, Jenny held her head in her hands and took a deep breath, while wondering what would be the best thing to do. She needed someone. Just to be there. Not her mum, who was in the same, painful state as she was. She needed a friend. Josh. Flipping open her cell, Jenny dialed his number. While waiting for him to pick up, he wondered if she should have called Leon. He's the one anyone would expect her to call at a time like this, so why had her mind instantly gone to Josh?

"Hey, whats up?" He greeted, cheerfully. Realising she had no idea what she was going to say, Jen remained quiet for a while, before beginning to cry again, speechless. "Jenny? Whats wrong?"

"I... He...," She started, trying to compose herself and stop the tears falling down her cheeks,"My dad, he's left. I... I don't know... What to do..."

"I'll be there in a second Jen. Don't cry, I'm coming," He ended the call, and Jenny successfully stopped her crying. Placing her phone back into her jean pocket, she made her way to the front door. She couldn't stand to be in the house any longer. She walked to the end of the street and leaned against the wall, wrapping her arms around herself. He arrived faster then ever before and got out of the car with no expression on his face. Jen stepped forwards slowly, watching the ground. Josh swiftly walked over to her, not saying anything, wrapped both his arms around her shoulders, and rested his cheek on her forehead. She broke down and, as much as she tried to stop it again, sobbed into his chest. she gripped onto his shirt tightly, to make sure he stayed there. She needed him to be there. He didn't have to say anything. He just had to hold her for a while. It made her feel protected from the tragic world. It made her feel safe. And she knew, when he held her like this, that she was loved, by all her friends. She wasn't alone anymore.

**A/N - Whoops, I took a long time on this one didn't I? XD sorry :') Anyway, please review this chapter and tell me what you think of it :) And Leon. He's completely made from my imagination. I think I fancy him though anyway XD. Also, this is a completely new topic now but I have a question. Is it wrong to fancy a cartoon character? I was watching Anastasia and Dimitri isn't that bad ;) XD He reminds me of Drake actually :) Haha, so yeah, sorry again for taking so long and please please please please please review 'cos it'll make me happy . :D**

**xx**


	8. Horizon

**Haunt**

**Chapter 8 - Horizon**

Josh had been sat with Jenny in the unmoving car for 10 minutes, trying his best to make her feel slightly better. He then turned on the engine after a while of silence and began to drive.

"Where are we going?" Jen asked quietly, not really bothered about the answer.

"You'll see," He replied, and then turned to look at her and smiled. They didn't talk until he pulled up at a lay-by, about twenty five minutes later. "Come on," He said, getting out of the vehicle. Jenny followed him. They walked a few steps, when Jenny realised they were standing at the top of a very large cliff. The view was amazing. Josh sat on a log, which was quite close to the edge, and Jenny did the same.

"This is where I come, when I want to be alone," Josh said, looking at the view. "When there's a lot of stuff going on, and I just need a little "me" time," Jenny wasn't sure why he was telling her this, but listened all the same. Josh finally turned to face her. "I've never brought anyone else here. It's one of my favourite places. It helps me think," Jenny was still watching him.

"So why did you bring me here?" Josh thought about it for a while.

"I don't know. You're the only person I've wanted to tell about it," He was looking out into the horizon, the breeze blowing his hair behind him. For a few minutes, they sat in a comfortable silence, watching the beautiful sunset.

"You know," He started, "When you rang me crying, I really worried about you. Before you told me it was... you know... your dad, I thought... well, I didn't know what to think to be honest. I thought maybe someone had hurt you. Or perhaps you were moving again and I would never see you again. For a moment, I was so much more worried than I had been in a very long time," He was now facing her again and she looking into his gorgeous blue eyes, just as she did at the beach that one time. "I realised today Jenny, that I really care about you, more than any other friends. You really mean something to me, and remember this Jen. Your sister left, your father left, my mother left, but you will never have to worry, because I'm never going to leave you. No matter what happens, I'll be here," Another tear fell from Jenny's eye, knowing she had someone like this to help her get through anything. Josh wiped it away with his thumb and then moved his hand further down her face until he was holding her chin. Suddenly, without warning, all the feelings for Josh Jenny had been trying to get rid of during the past year came rushing back. She didn't mind much right now.

"I promise," He added, so quietly, it was almost a whisper. He then pulled her face closer to his and leaned in. He pressed his lips against hers for the second time and kissed her softly. Jenny got the same amazing feeling she got during the day at the beach and for a moment, forgot about everything but herself and Josh. Any problems each of them had, vanished for a moment. In fact, everything vanished. No earth, no people, no worries. Just Jenny, Josh and the log, which they sat on. When Josh ended the kiss, more tears had fallen from Jenny's eyes. He smiled, and Jen noticed that he too, had tears in his eyes. Although she was almost crying, Jen produced a small chuckle. She had never seen josh like this before.

"Come here," She whispered, and wrapped her arms around him and held him close as his tears fell onto her shoulder. He too wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I'm sorry," He said, after the long hug.

"For what?" Jenny asked.

"I don't know... Just being like this. I don't know what's with me," Jenny smiled warmly at him. From the kiss, it was obvious he had feelings for her. How strong they were, Jenny really didn't know, but it didn't matter much. She knew how much he cared about her, as a friend, and to know that was enough.

**A/N – Yeah I know this is short, but I really wanted to end it there. Sorry for not updating, I have been rather busy with exams and stuff :P . I promise to TRY and update quicker next time XD Please review! Thanks**

**xx**


	9. Converse

**Haunt**

**Chapter 9 – Converse **

Jenny got dressed into her PJs, with an uncontrollable smile painted on her face. Josh had driven her home that night, and this time there was no awkwardness. In fact, it was anything but. Josh treated Jenny the same as he always did. They talked, they joked, they laughed. The only difference was the slight attraction between them, although Jen had no idea how far this would go.

She got in later than expected. Around 11:45pm. Mary was asleep on the sofa and so Jenny had just gone upstairs to get ready for bed. For a while she was looking for her phone, and seriously regretting putting it on silent, when she remembered placing it in her jeans pocket.

Pulling it out, Jen noticed she had two missed calls and seven text messages. Six of the messages and both calls were from Leon. Clingy much? The other text was from Mindy, asking if she knew where Josh was. She decided to ignore this text, unsure of what she would have replied with anyway. The messages from Leon started with a simple "Hello, how are you? Xx" Which then developed into "Are you ignoring me? Why aren't you answering your phone? X" and "Are you okay? Have I done something? Why are you ignoring me Jenny?" After reading these, Jen felt a twinge of guilt. While she was out with Josh, while they sat on the log, while they kissed... Leon had been texting her worryingly. She then came to the conclusion that he should have just accepted she was busy, and he was being much too involved in her life. She did not want to be with him 24/7. Rolling her eyes, Jen thought it was best to text back before he got worse anyway. "Hey, sorry, phone was on silent x" Within seconds, he replied, and so Jenny got into bed comfortably before reading it. She had a slight feeling this would go on for a while.

* * *

The following morning, Jenny was up and ready by 7:00am, unlike most other mornings, when she would sleep in until 8:00am, and run the risk of being late everyday. Despite the fact her father had left home the night before, Jen could not tear the grin off her face. Of course, when she saw her mother moping around the house, it would dampen her mood as she was reminded of her family breakdown. She tried her hardest to shove these thoughts to the back of her mind, however, and got on with her day. Leon would arrive at her house at approximately half eight. During that time, Jenny wandered around the house aimlessly, not having the ability to sit still. An hour and a half later, bang on time, there was a knock on the door. Jen opened it in record time, thrilled to finally be out of the house and greeted Leon.

"Hey babe," He said. Jenny cringed. She really wasn't too fond of being called "babe". Then again, perhaps she was just being too picky.

"Morning!" She replied, before he placed his arm around her shoulders, kissed her forehead and walked her to the car. Jenny then imagined this scene exactly how it was, but with Josh, rather than Leon. She couldn't help but grin stupidly at the thought. It seemed wonderful. The guilt then kicked in. Leon had no idea, that as he had his arm around her shoulders, so happy with Jenny, that she was actually wishing he was a different person. But she couldn't help it. Jenny knew then how much she really wanted to be with Josh. To be able to kiss him. Hug him. Hold him. Love him. Minus the secrets and those people who seem to have a knack at interfering. Just the thought of it made her happy.

The day went quickly, and soon enough, the whole gang were sat at lunch, apart from Drake, who was currently making out with some girl at the back of the canteen. As happy as Jenny was to see Josh, Mindy's presence was more frustrating than ever. Why couldn't she just leave? Then again, Leon was there too.

"Drake's got a gig at Milner's Bar tonight, you guys want to come?" Josh asked, before taking the last bite of his sandwich.

"Sorry mate, wish I could, but I have family coming over, mom is never gonna' let me leave the house," Leon said, laughing as he said it.

"I'll come," Jenny said, followed by,

"Yeah, me too," from Mindy. Craig and Eric then agreed aswell.

"Great, i'll meet you all there at seven then. Right, i'll be back in a few minutes, I need to go see Mrs Hayfer," Josh said, and stood up from the table, chucking his rubbish in the bin on his way out. Jenny then, too, excused herself from the table, and followed Josh's footsteps.

"Josh!" Jenny called, once she had almost caught up to him. He spun around immediately.

"Yeah?" He walked back slightly, towards Jenny.

"Josh...What..? Erm..." She realised quickly that planning what to say before hand would have been a good idea. Josh waited patiently and Jenny took a deep breath before starting again."Josh, what's going on between us? Last night was... amazing,"

"Yeah, I know it was," He mumbled, whilst looking down at his converses.

"Okay, i'm going to be really upfront now, and excuse me if I get mushy, but, Josh, I really like you. Since last night, when you kissed me, I haven't been happier,"

"Jenny, I think it's pretty obvious now I feel the same way, but-"

"Oh Jesus, you're not going to start ignoring me again are you?" The butterflies that Jenny had in her stomach quickly turned into knots.

"No! No, of course i'm not. But Jenny, I don't think you realise how much Mindy has done for me. We have been together for years. She really loves me, I can't just leave her," The blood drained from Jenny's face, leaving her even paler than her natural skin tone, if that was in fact possible.

"Do you love her?" She asked, after a few seconds of silence. Josh didn't answer and so she turned around slowly back towards the canteen, leaving Josh standing in the corridor, still looking down at his shoes.


	10. Goosebumps

**Haunt**

**Chapter 10 – Goose bumps**

Jenny stood before her wardrobe, debating with herself on whether she should go to the gig, and if so, what she should wear. The evening would be quite awkward if she were to spend a lot of it with Josh, and there was big chance of this happening because of the fact they were both a part of a group of friends that seemed to hardly ever split up. She couldn't even drag Leon off anywhere because of his stupid family reunion. She wouldn't have wanted to anyway though, really. She wanted Josh to be the one she dragged off somewhere. But it was never going to happen. The evening would make her miserable. So there. She would save herself the awkward silences and not go. Then again, she was a big supporter of Drakes music, and he knew she was going. She couldn't just let him down because of some stupid crush. But it's not a stupid crush.

Jenny grunted, turned around, and paced her bedroom. She had been stood there for the past ten minutes, and during that time had developed a fairly painful headache. Perhaps that could be her excuse for not going?

"Hun?" Jen spun around to find her mother standing in the doorway. "Are you okay?"

"Ugh, yeah, just a headache," She replied, and Mary let herself in, swaying in the process, and wrapped her arms around her daughter.

"Oh darl, I know it's hard that your dad left," She started. Jenny felt slightly guilty then, she had hardly thought about it, being more upset and bothered about stupid things going on with her friends. Nethertheless, Mary thought she was currently saddened by her family breakdown, and Jenny didn't bother to correct her, and let her carry on whilst hugging her back. "It's slightly strange how in the space of just two years we have become a family of two, but don't worry love, you've still got me. I will never leave you, I promise-"

"Mom? Are you drunk?" During this small speech, Jenny had noticed the strong smell of alcohol in her breath and if she let go, Jen feared her mother would not be able to support herself and would collapse on her bedroom floor.

"Of course not love! Well, I may have had a few glasses of wine. Or bottles. Do you want some? I think there may be a little left..."

Great, Jenny thought. A whole two years had passed without her mum drinking more than one small glass of wine a day. It looks like her old habits had found her again, despite how serious it became when she used to be a drunk. She knew this would not be a one-off. Mary was not strong enough for that. Now she has started drinking again, she would not be able to stop. So much for being there for her daughter. Just another promise ready to be broken.

Jenny shot her an angry look, but helped her mother to her own bed, not quite knowing what else to do with her.

"I can't believe you're doing this to me," Jenny said coldly, and left the room. As she entered the living room, she was not shocked to see all the empty bottles of lager and wine. This was nothing compared to how she used to drink. However, it could only get worse.

She couldn't go out now. Mary would probably do something stupid whilst she was out; Jenny had seen it all before, it wasn't new to her. She texted Drake, saying she couldn't make it, and then reached into the medicine cabinet for some paracetamol for the headache that was only getting worse as the night grew longer.

* * *

Jenny awoke on the couch, fully clothed and surrounded by the empty bottles that had been chucked anywhere and everywhere around the living room after her mother had consumed its contents. The smell of it made Jenny feel rather nauseous, especially due to the fact she had only just woken up. She checked the time (11:43am) and then, more importantly, her mother, who she found sprawled across her bed, just where she left her the night before at about 4am, with a half empty bottle of lager still in her hand. Jenny hoped the revolting smell in there wouldn't linger too long, for it _was_ her bedroom, and she was required to sleep there the following night. She picked up a few cans and bottles, including the one in Mary's hand, and cursed under her breath when she noticed the red wine stain on her bed sheets. She also tidied up around the living room too, picking up the bottles and chucking them in the recycling bins, shattered after last night. She was almost done when a knock at the door interrupted her.

Jen opened the door to find Josh stood on her front porch.

"What do you want Josh?" She asked rudely, too tired to care about being polite, despite being crazy about him.

"Can I come in?" He asked.

"I don't think you really want to, to be honest," She replied, followed by a yawn.

"You're angry with me aren't you?"

"No, I'm not. I'm just so tired, sorry," She answered truthfully. She really wasn't angry with him, just disappointed, which really wasn't surprising at all.

"Are you sure? I feel really bad,"

"It's okay, I'm used to settling for second best anyway," She muttered stupidly. Josh looked at her with a puzzled expression, and placed his hand on her arm, giving her goose bumps.

"You know you're never second best with me. I just can't abandon Mindy. We've gone through this," He said softly. Jenny stared into those gorgeous eyes. She was so smitten.

"Yeah, I know," She sighed, not really sure what else there was to say. He then stepped closer and hugged her, making her feel more comfortable than ever. The hug lasted for a fair few seconds, before he broke it off and smiled warmly at her. He turned around and walked back to his car. Jenny sighed and made her way back into the house. Mary was stumbling down the stairs, still not fully sober, and opened up yet another can of lager that she found behind a vase of flowers. God knows how it ever got there.

**Please R&R! xx**


	11. Duck Pond

**Haunt**

**Chapter 11 – Duck Pond**

Jenny made her way down the now familiar streets of her neighbourhood and towards the local shops, planning to get something to eat. The only food left in the house was a tin of sardines and a questionable onion. Now, Jenny was not known to be a fussy eater, but even this was not appetising enough for her, and so she set off in search of real food that had a lesser chance of her seeing it again after it was placed in her mouth.

It had been weeks since her mother had gone out to places other than bars and that dodgy shop down the street that sold just alcohol and tobacco, probably stolen by the look of the owners. Therefore, Jenny had to manage by herself. Now that she had consumed most of the food in the house, it was time to buy more. Easy. The hard part was getting money. Mary wasn't working, and any money she did have went to, of course, drinks. It took a while of searching around the house, but Jenny managed to find $5. Not enough for a week's worth of shopping, but it was enough for today.

So, her sister was dead, her father had left, her mother was a drunk, she had seen hardly anything of Leon lately, Josh wouldn't ever be with her, and she didn't really have any real friends. Apart from Josh that is, but she just couldn't bear to be with him for longer than five minutes anymore. Jenny felt completely alone.

After paying for her inside-out burger, Jenny started walking to the park, unsure of where else to go. She found herself unable to get Josh out of her mind. There were so many important, and rather tragic, things going on in her life. Her family had just broken down. Everything was falling to pieces. And so why did she feel most concerned about Josh than anyone else? It was mad. Her mother was at home, most likely passed out on the kitchen floor, and yet her mind was still fixated on a stupid crush.

She sat on a bench, which looked out onto the whole park. Before her was the duck pond, with a small water feature in the middle. As Jenny watched it, she still thought about Josh, what he could be doing, what he was saying the other day, how he smiles warmly at her, how his hair falls charmingly around his beautiful face, his sweet nose, his gorgeous eyes...

Jenny quickly snapped out of her daydreaming once she realised what she was doing. This wasn't right. Josh knew how she felt about him, and he had rejected her for his "precious" Mindy. Twice. There was no point in trying again, he wouldn't change his mind. Jenny knew she had to move on. Although she wasn't entirely sure she was capable of doing such thing.

Much to her surprise, Josh suddenly showed up, and Jenny hoped to God he was not a mind reader and had heard everything she was just thinking. She had always feared that people could read her mind from an early age. How humiliating it would be if they could.

Josh noticed her quickly and rushed over to her.

"Jenny! I have been looking all over for you," He said once he knew he was within earshot. Jenny patted the bench beside her, smiling, signalling him to sit with her. He did so.

"Why have you been looking for me?" She asked, softly.

"In all honesty Jenny, I have been worried about you. I haven't seen you in ages, you haven't been hanging out with us all lately, are you okay? Is everything okay at home? I know your dad left, are you and your mum coping okay?" Jenny looked at him. He _did_ look genuinely concerned. She then looked down at the pavement and thought about what he was asking her. She was not okay, really. It was definitely not okay at home, and they were most certainly not coping well at all. But was she really going to tell Josh? Did he really want to know? Did he actually care? She looked back up at his face. He was still looking at her with a worried facial expression, and placed his hand on her arm, which made her feel suddenly much less lonely. She was almost sure he cared.

"No, not really Josh. My family has broken down completely. Mum was a recovered alcoholic, and now she's back on the drinks twenty four/seven, and it doesn't look like it is going to end any time soon. I don't think my dad is coming back, and I know for sure my sister never is, despite how much I really need her right now. I have no money, I feel completely cut off from the world and I don't know what to do with myself. There, is your answer." She confessed, trying her very hardest not to break down into tears.

"Oh my God, Jenny. I had no idea it was this bad, come here," Josh reached his arms out and Jenny moved closer, resting her head just below his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and placed his head on top of hers. "Listen, I'm going to help you. Anything you need, or even just want, I'll get you. You just let me know, okay? I can help you out with money, and if you ever need a place to stay, just come over to ours, you can stay in the spare room,"

"Thanks a lot Josh, but you don't need to do all this, I can manage. It's just difficult. Nothing I can't handle though," She said, not sure if she was telling the truth or not.

"Don't. I want to help. I think you need a friend, and, well, here I am," He said, stroking her hair. He was right. She really did need a friend. Perhaps she _should_ get help from him. It couldn't do any harm anyway.

"Thank you Josh, this means a hell of a lot," She pulled away and looked into his eyes. Big mistake. Now she couldn't stop admiring him. His face, his arms... No. This had to stop. Especially around him. What if she started drooling? He did that warm smile again, that Jenny loved. It made her feel happy, despite everything else going on in the world. Her world. Right then. Just in that moment. Jenny realised what she had been questioning all along. And she _had_ to tell him. She just had to.

"Josh, I need to tell you something," She started, and he waited patiently for her to continue. Jenny took a deep breath before beginning her next sentence. "Oh God. Okay. Josh, I think... I think I'm in love with you," She cringed slightly when he didn't respond and just waited for her to carry on. "I love you, not just for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you," She looked straight into those gorgeous eyes, waiting for a response.

"Jenny..." He started, not taking his eyes off hers, "I...I don't know what to say..." He mumbled.

After a few moments of silence, he reached in and kissed her, placing his hands around her face. This was a familiar feeling, however it still felt amazing, and Jenny had never been happier in her life. She returned the kiss and placed her hands on his chest, when suddenly, a screechy voice interrupted them.

"Josh?" Mindy gasped, "Jenny! What the hell is going on?" Josh stood up instantly. Anger built up inside Jenny. She had been miserable for weeks on end, and the only good thing that had happened was ruined by this annoying person who had _always _been in the way and Jenny had _never _liked one little bit. There was a duck pond right there. Why, oh why, couldn't she have fallen into it? My God, that would have been funny. Jenny had to resist all temptation not to push her in right then.

"Mindy! I... I can explain," He stuttered.

"Oh really? You can, can you? Go on then. You just explain that," She said coldly. Josh just looked down. He really couldn't explain at all. "And Jenny? I can't believe you did this to me! I thought we were best friends!" Now this shocked Jenny. She hadn't realised Mindy thought so much of her. Jenny didn't even consider her much of a friend, never mind 'best' friend. She stood up from the bench, as Josh did, before speaking.

"Really? You thought we were best friends?" She couldn't help laugh slightly at this. Josh shot her an angry look. "Mindy, we _never _hang out, unless we're with our other friends," She wasn't sure if this was relevant at all, but it was all Jenny had to say.

"Josh? How long has this been going on?" She screeched. Jenny had never seen Mindy's angry facial expression before. It kind of scared her to be honest.

"Nothing has been going on!" He exclaimed. His face was one of mainly hurt, and Jenny felt instantly sorry. She wanted to hug him, however that probably would not be the best idea at that moment in time.

"Oh, so what I just saw was a normal 'friendly' gesture was it?"

"Mindy, please," Josh said quietly. Jenny stayed silent.

"I can't believe you Josh! I hate you! I hate you both!" She screamed, and began storming off, when Josh grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.

"Mindy! Please, listen to me! Nothing is going on! I promise! What just happened, was a mistake. You have to believe me!" What he just said really hurt Jenny. She had just admitted that she was in love with him, and he called it all a mistake. She considered walking off, but found she couldn't drag herself away.

Mindy calmed down slightly. "Okay Josh. Ok. I... I guess I believe you. But...are you expecting me to take you back?"

Josh stayed silent, and Jenny wondered if he actually didn't _want_ to be with Mindy anymore. Maybe he wanted to be with her... Just maybe.

"Okay, I'll be at the premiere. You come find me when you want to talk," She sighed, and walked off. Josh stared at her until she was out of view, and during this time, Jenny watched him, quite nervous as to what he was going to do.

"Josh? Are you okay?" She whispered, unable to speak any louder. He was silent, but nodded as a reply. "What are you going to do?" She dreaded his answer. He would probably go to Mindy. Make everything better with her so they could be together forever and live happily ever after. How she hated Mindy so bloody much. He was quiet for a while, and Jenny put her hands in her pockets awkwardly and waited for his answer.

"Jenny," He started, his voice barely a whisper. He turned to face her and met her eyes, "I need to go to Mindy. I need to sort things out. Please understand. She means so much to me,"

A mixture of emotions filled Jenny's body. Anger, sorrow, hurt, disbelief. She felt completely drained and was not quite sure what to do with herself. She had nothing to hope for now.

"Are you being serious?" Her voice grew louder, "Josh, please, please don't do this to me," Jenny broke down in tears as she spoke, but this time, Josh didn't hug her. He stood there, looking as though he was about to cry himself.

"Jenny, don't make this harder for me. I have explained this to you so many times! I need Mindy!" He said, his voice also louder than before. A single tear fell down his left cheek. He wiped it away immediately.

"What about me? If you don't like me, why did you kiss me? Why did you make me think you loved me back? Why did you build my hopes up, only to let them crash back down completely? I can't believe you Josh," She continued, still crying.

"I'm sorry, I have to go," He replied, back to a whisper. Josh then turned around and left the park quickly, leaving Jenny standing alone in tears by the duck pond.

**A/N – Thanks for the reviews people! They are much appreciated **** Hope you like this chapter, next one will be up soon. Only two more chapters to go! :o Please review, 'cos it'll make my day! **

**P.s. Hope you all had a good Christmas **

**xx**


	12. Josh

**Haunt**

**Chapter 12 – Josh**

_I turned the corner and rushed forward towards the premiere. I had to be quick. I couldn't let Mindy think I hadn't immediately gone to her. She needed to trust me again. I just couldn't lose her. _

_Then it struck me. In just five minutes, I had lost one of the greatest friends I had ever had. Jenny. Was I really about to give that up?_

_I cast my thoughts aside as I pushed open the door to the premiere with more force than I had intended. I scanned the room, and found her sat with Leon in the seating area. I hurried over._

"_Mindy, please, you have to trust me-," I blurted out whilst sitting down swiftly into the chair next to her. She looked disappointed, but I quickly noticed her expression was nothing compared to Leon's. In fact, he looked absolutely devastated. _

"_Leon... What- Oh God Mindy, did you tell him?" I asked, completely taken aback. _

"_Well he had to know!" She cried. Leon now had his head in his hands, silent._

"_Yeah! But I'm pretty sure Jenny would have wanted to tell him herself. You don't realise how much crap she is having to put up with at home, and you are just making it a hell of a lot worse!" I yelled, suddenly not caring about trying to win her back. I was angry. More than I should have been._

"_I don't care! I don't care about how depressing she makes out her life is! I hate her! She is a selfish cow and I wish she never moved here!" She screamed, obviously very angry too. At least she had a proper reason. _

"_Shut up! You don't know anything! Stop acting like such a bitch!" I was not an offensive person, and never before had I talked to anyone like this, especially to Mindy. But I couldn't sit there and listen to her talk about Jenny like this. I needed to defend her. I had to. She needed someone to defend her in her life, and I wanted to be the one to do it._

"_Why do you keep defending her? Is this why you came here? To rub in my face that you would rather be with her instead of me?" _

"_Jesus Christ," Leon mumbled, before standing and walking off._

"_Leon, wait!" Josh pleaded, feeling a twinge of guilt for kissing his girlfriend._

"_Piss off," He said quietly, and left the premiere. I watched him leave, feeling worse than ever, and then turned to Mindy. She was sat back in her chair, arms folded, with a scowl on her face and an angry look in her eyes. For a moment, I debated with myself whether I really wanted to still be here. Perhaps I was just trying to get her back because I was scared of being alone. I had been with Mindy for years now. I had noticed my feelings for her slipping away, slowly day by day, and during this day, even more dramatically. But I wasn't sure how I would cop if this ended. I didn't like the idea of being alone._

_That was when it clicked. I wouldn't be alone. I would have Jenny. Of course I would. And there would be nothing in the way. I wouldn't have to worry about Mindy. I could be with Jenny, without any complications. I wanted to be with her. I really, honestly did, and up until right this moment, I had not realised how much I wanted this. But was I really about to give up the girl who had stayed by my side for three years? The girl who had supposedly loved me when I was the school reject?_

"_So, Josh," She started, coldly, her arms still folded. I couldn't face her. I kept my head low."Who is it going to be? Me? Or Jenny?"_

_Was she really making me decide there and then? She must be joking. But when I looked back at her, I knew she was being deadly serious. I kept my eyes on hers as I thought about this question. After a while of considering what I was going to do, I took a deep breath and made my decision. _

**A/N – Hope you enjoyed this! Short, I know :/ But i'm hoping the last chapter will make up for it :) It will be up soon! ****Bet you can't guess what's going to happen ;) No. Seriously. You won't.**

**Thanks for reading! Please review and I'll love you forever! **

**xx**


	13. The Last Step

**Haunt**

**Chapter 13 – The Last Step**

**Here it is! The last chapter! Enjoy **

Jenny watched him leave. Watched him run after him leave her on her own again. She wasn't crying anymore, but the tears were still there, drying on her pale face. She didn't bother wipe them away and just slowly walked out of the park and made her way back home.

She wondered if one day, someone would be there, all the time, simply because they wanted to be. They would never abandon her. They would be there when she needed them the most, just as when she would need them the least. But it was just a dream. If her life continued this way, she knew she would be alone forever. Anyone who got close enough, would run a mile five minutes later. She thought she had become used to this by now. Turns out it hurt just as much as the first time. These things never get better. What made it worse though, was that Josh was the only one to promise never to leave her. You really can't trust anyone.

Jenny opened her front door to find Mary, again, passed out on the couch. The television was blaring, bottles everywhere, as per usual. Jenny's expression was not one of shock, nor disappointment. It did not change at all. Just neutral. No one cared how she felt, so why show emotion? She took in her surroundings, and then made her way upstairs, not caring anymore about the state of her home.

Jenny pulled out her suitcase from under her bed and opened it up. She quickly started shoving random clothes and necessities into it, in a hurry to get out of the house. She took no breaks, she didn't stop. She didn't want to think about what she was doing, she just wanted to get out of this place. Not just the house, but the neighbourhood, the area. It was too hard staying somewhere where people would just judge her all the time. There was nothing left for her there.

Once she was done, she pulled on her old black hoodie and left the house, suitcase in hand. She had only reached the end of her driveway when a figure appeared in front of her.

"Where are you going?" It was Leon. Jenny didn't look up. She kept her eyes on the ground. She couldn't face him, she only felt guilt.

"Away," She muttered, before trying to get around him. He stopped her and held her in place with his arms. He was too strong to escape from.

"Look at me when I am talking to you!" His voice had grown louder. Jenny tore her eyes from the floor and looked straight into his eyes. "How could you do this to me? How could you do it to Mindy?" He looked genuinely hurt , making Jenny feel worse than ever.

"I... I'm sorry," She said, barely a whisper. She couldn't hold it in any longer. A tear escaped her left eye.

"You think that is going to make everything better? Why are you crying? Stop feeling sorry for yourself Jenny, it is all you ever do! You get yourself into these messes, and expect everyone to feel sorry for you! _You_ are the one who cheated on me, and now you are acting like you are the innocent one! _Poor little Jenny!_ Can't you just think of other people for a change?" Jenny stood still, stunned. She had never seen Leon shout like this to anyone.

"Well don't worry Leon, you won't have to put up with poor little Jenny anymore," She stated, coldly. He eyed the suitcase.

"Yeah? Where are you going to go?" He let go of her. Jenny didn't answer and just glared at him. In truth, she didn't even have an answer. She had no money, no family, no friends. She had nowhere to go, but surely anywhere was better than this. She made her way around him and started walking away. Without turning around to look at her, he said; "Don't bother coming back, okay? You have caused everyone here enough misery,"

* * *

It was 10pm. A car pulled up onto the gravel and Josh got out slowly, cautiously. She didn't turn around. It appeared that she hadn't even heard the car. She was sat alone on the log at the cliff edge. Her suitcase was a few steps behind her. Josh made his way forward and sat down beside her. She didn't look at him, she kept her eyes straight forward, into the darkness. She was so pale, he noticed. Her hair was a mess, falling in front of her face. She didn't seem to care. After a few moments of silence, Jenny sensed that Josh was wondering about the suitcase and spoke first.

"I didn't have anywhere to go," Josh remained quiet. "I wanted to get away, someplace new. I couldn't think where though. Or even how to get there. So I came here instead. It was all I could think of I guess," She kept looking straight ahead, and Josh waited a few moments before saying something.

"I'm sorry, Jenny. I feel terrible," This time, Jenny turned to face him, it was obvious she had been crying, "I never wanted to hurt you,"

"That's what they all say, Josh. No one really cares though. It's every person for himself in this world."

"You know that's not true... I care about you, I just don't show it very well," Josh looked down, seemingly as though he was disappointed in his own actions.

"It doesn't matter anymore anyway," He looked back up at Jenny.

"What do you mean?"

"A few steps. Just a few, and I'll be with her. The only person who ever loved me,"

Josh's face became increasingly worried and puzzled. "I... I don't understand Jenny"

"All I have to do is take a few steps. Then I will actually be happy. Seems silly doesn't it? Why hadn't I done this earlier? A few steps, a small leap, and I'll finally be with my sister,"

"Jenny, no. No stop being ridiculous, I promise everything will get better, just, please, don't do anything stupid, I can't let you," Josh placed both his hands on her shoulders. "I love you Jenny, I love you so god damn much but I was too much of a coward to do anything about it. I was scared to lose Mindy, she's been the only stable thing in my life, I didn't even notice she made me unhappy. You're the one I really want to be with, and I promise we can be together now. No complications, no Mindy. Just you and me. Please? I love you, I really do, I'm so sorry for all the shit I've put you through, you deserve so much better, but I can't help but fight for you, I don't want to lose you."

Jenny's facial expression was still neutral, there was no change, but she looked straight into his blue eyes.

"I love you too." A small, loving smile crept upon Josh's face, however, this was not returned. "But Josh, I can't do this. I need to be with Kate. She should never have died."

The smile faded as quickly as it appeared. "Jenny, no one should die, it's just the way things are. My mum died too remember?" He looked down again, not wanting to show any emotion about this subject, despite the huge amount of hurt he felt, each and every day.

After a few moments of silence, Jenny finally spoke. "You didn't kill your mother." At this statement, Josh looked back up.

"What?"

"I was accident. I loved her, it never should have happened, it was an accident" Jenny broke down into hysterical crying. Josh stood and took a step back, unsure of what he was hearing. "We were arguing... over something so stupid. I shouldn't have done it, I shouldn't have done it..." She continued between sobs. "She slapped me... And I just lost it, I lost it completely and pushed her. I pushed her as hard as I could, I was so angry... She fell. She fell down the staircase. Took a blow to the head. An hour later and I had lost her. I lost my best friend, my sister, the only person who ever cared about me, the only person who ever lost me... I killed her,"

Josh didn't speak, he remained silent, unable to take in what she was saying. He felt sick, he felt angry, he couldn't feel sympathy. After the death of his mother, he felt that quality of life was so important. The thought that Jenny had killed someone made him sick to the stomach.

Jenny looked up at him. "Please say something,"

"... How could you do such a thing?" He said, as calm as he possibly could.

"It was an accident! I didn't want her to fall down those stairs! Haven't you ever wanted to cause a little pain to someone? Haven't you ever felt the need to hit Drake?"

"I would never kill my own brother!" He couldn't hold it in any longer. He shouted this, he was angry, too angry to contain his emotions.

"Yeah? Well at least I'm willing to pay for what I've done!" She yelled back, angry too at his reaction. Jenny stood and made a few steps to the cliff edge.

"Nothing you do could ever take back what you've done! You stole someone's life, I think that' the worst thing any human being could ever do," He turned away from her, tears creeping down his face as he thought about his mother. How much he missed her was just unbearable. He needed her so much and it was this thought that brought some sympathy back to him. Jenny felt the same. She may be the reason why her sister was gone, but Jenny still needed her, still loved her. Just as Josh needed and loved his mother.

"I'm sorry I was such a disappointment to you Josh. Bye." She said this calmly, quietly. Josh turned around and took in what she was about to do and horror ran through his body. He rushed towards her, screamed for her, tried to grab her arm.

But she took the last step.

Her body fell from the edge of the cliff. Josh screamed after her, as if it would make any difference now. He watched her fall, watched her body hit the ground so far below, watched her lay motionless.

He couldn't cry any longer, the shock was too much, he couldn't grasp the situation. His knees buckled and he fell to the floor.

He sat, holding his knees, staring into blankness for the next 7 hours. Completely motionless. He couldn't move. He couldn't do anything. It was the following morning. He hadn't moved, not once.

"Son?" Josh still didn't move, but the voice sounded as though it belonged to a middle aged man. He knelt down beside him. "Son? Are you okay?" Josh finally looked into the face of this stranger.

"I loved her. Not for what she was, but for what I was when I was with her." He looked down again.

"I guess now, I'm nothing."

**The end.**

**Thanks for reading, feel free to review or whatever. x**


End file.
